Reilly Biller said she decided to go to USC because of the Carolinian Creed, which asks students to respect the dignity and rights of others while discouraging bigotry and striving to learn from differences in people, ideas and opinions.
The diversity of campus life was a key motivator in the third-year broadcast journalism student's decision to attend USC as she intended on continuing her Jewish faith and the observance of its holidays. One such holiday is the celebration of Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, during which Jews fast, abstain from work and spend time with family.
This year, Yom Kippur falls on Oct. 8 and 9. Biller said she gave a few weeks' notice to professor Patricia Davis, saying she wouldn’t be in class one of these days in order to be with her family as they broke fast.
Biller said she was greatly taken aback when Davis told her the absence would not be excused despite it being a legitimate reason for class excusal listed within the university’s Undergraduate Academic Regulations bulletin.
“I was, like, that’s not really fair, and if you’re getting down into it, it is a little bit of religious discrimination because they [other students in the class] have an extra absence than I do," Biller said. "We get four for that class which is nice, but it’s three times a week, and I should have all of mine just like the kid next to me.”
Biller reached out to Cheryl Nail, community relations director for the Columbia Jewish Federation, who contacted the professor and was able to correct the error. As she had never had any prior issues between classes and the observance of Jewish holidays, Biller said that this was a deeply personal experience. Davis declined to comment on the matter.
According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 78% of South Carolina is Christian. As a result, smaller communities of different religions may experience discrimination simply because they are underrepresented.
“When these issues arise they almost always stem from not knowing or understanding why the students are requesting the absence, not from a place of malice,” Nail said in an email interview.
The university’s Office of Multicultural Student Affairs aims to remedy this by advocating for inclusive learning environments and providing opportunities for students in underrepresented communities to share their stories and backgrounds.
“Our interfaith population is growing on campus because we have more students coming from out of state and more students coming from different areas that are not just Christian but religions of other faith as well,” said Shay Malone, Multicultural Student Affairs director.
Biller said if students of Jewish or different religions find out they were unexcused because of their devotions, there would be a lot of backlash due to these rising numbers. In this situation, Biller said she felt it was her place to speak up and say something.
“My mom has always taught us to be really proud of your religion. It’s huge; it’s part of who you are," Biller said. "It was definitely something worth standing up for. Definitely, in case another student has to go through it.”